Tampered Feelings
by Xan the Great
Summary: Lili Frond's joy ride with wine breaks out on unsuspecting Holly, but it turns out quite different than she expected... love triangle HS/GK/TK
1. Lili's Lie

Disclaimer: blah. You no the drill. No OCs in this ficlet.  
  
Note: jus sumpin' I'm messin around with, so its quite short. Oh, and this ficcy doesn't have nething to do with my other stories.  
  
Tampered Feelings  
  
Prequel: Lili's Lie  
  
"Commander . . . is it absolutely . . .eh, mandatory that I attend this promotion ceremony?" Holly Short asked gingerly, wishing fervently that the graduation/promotion formality hadn't been planned today, and fingering a deep new blemish on her helmet, which lay loyally in her lap.  
  
Poor helmet . . . It had been through it all in the past few years.  
  
"Holly, I think it would mean a lot to Trouble (A/N: who was being promoted today) if you showed at the dance tonight." The Commander growled, not looking up from his alphabetized paperwork.  
  
Some say organization is the key to life. Maybe that's why Holly was locked out.  
  
She seethed at Root inwardly. Why did he always do this? She had rights, you know!  
  
"But I . . . " Holly bit her lip slowly, trying to blurt out a half decent excuse. Ugh . . . Holly in a dress . . . She could feel the linen against her itching hose already.  
  
"No buts, Captain. If you like your rank now, you'll be at the ceremony." Commander Root eyed Holly with the sort of look that meant this conversation was over. The captain parted her lips to protest again as she ran her fingers through her disordered auburn hair.  
  
Before she had a chance to utter one word, Root slammed his pen down on his desk, his face already beginning to redden.  
  
"And yes, Short, there is a dress code. So put it to use."  
  
Holly sighed, jumping from the stiff chair in the Commander's office, and left rubbing her temples. She slammed the office door behind her to express her anger. Hmm . . . maybe that wasn't the best choice of actions . . .  
  
She clenched her fists tightly as she took the stairs ,instead of the elevator, to the next level for some much-needed coffee.  
  
"How's it goin' Holls?" Chix Verbil, who seemed to live in the lounge, said from an overly stuffed couch, nodding to Holly.  
  
Holly tried to ignore the obsessed sprite as she stomped towards the coffee pot, retrieved a Styrofoam cup, and attempted to fill it, but instead ended up beating on the machine with her palm when it poured unmixed brew all over her uniform.  
  
"I can fix that Holly." Chix muttered a pathetic attempt to gain the Captain's heart.  
  
Holly whirled around ,her face almost as red as Root's with anger, sloshing what was left of her coffee onto the faded carpet, and faced the determined sprite.  
  
"If I had need something fixed, I would have asked someone to fix it, and you would probably not have made my first choice, anyway!!"  
  
"Woah, I was just offerin'," Chix muttered, throwing his gloved hands up.  
  
"I DON'T CARE! NEXT TIME YOU OPEN YOUR IMMENSLY HUGE MOUTH, DON'T DIRECT WHATEVER YOU INTEND TO SAY AT ME!" Holly shouted, digging her fingernails into the cup. She didn't have time for this.  
  
Shouting was the least Holly could do without wrenching the coffee machine out of its socket and pitching it, boiling pot and all, at the Private.  
  
"Some kinda PMS ya got yourself Holl." He muttered, running his hand through his green hair.  
  
Holly opened her mouth to shout again, but instead tried to remember what her shrink would advise.  
  
She heaved deeply, nails embedded into the underside of her palm, brow still furrowed with resentment.  
  
Trouble Kelp had obviously been standing in the corner, broadly grinning and reading a magazine, although his eyes weren't moving across the pages.  
  
"Match to Short." He muttered. "By the way, you guys catch the name of the lucky guy getting' promoted tonight?" Trouble kept his mouth closed with the expression of inward laughing.  
  
Of course they had. He'd only mentioned it umpteen times.  
  
Chix jealously rose and left the lounge. And, for the first time in her life, Captain Holly Short followed Chix's example and followed him without complaint (A/N; Nah, this ain't a Chix/Holly, I just had to stick him in this story at least once!lol ;D).She wasn't in the mood to play games today.  
  
Holly walked silently down the hall toward the elevator, unconsciously still clutching her clawed cup. She punched the down button with a sigh.  
  
And of course, when the titanium doors slid open, to Holly's immense discomfort, stood perfect little Lili Frond.  
  
Her face lit with childish joy, huge dimples riding her cheekbones playfully, as if she, of all people had not a care under the world.  
  
"Holly! What a complete surprise!" She squeaked, obviously pressing the button to keep the doors wide.  
  
"Say, are you coming to the ceremony tonight?"  
  
Despite the little demon whispering in her ear, Holly just could not bring herself to lie. She sighed melodramatically.  
  
"Yeah." She turned, but Lili held her back.  
  
" Oh! Will you let me do your makeup at say . . . my place?" She cooed.  
  
"I . . . n-" But Holly couldn't finish her rejection.  
  
"Oh, want me to hold the door for you?" Lili said, all the while beaming as a couple pixies hobbled into the glass box.  
  
"No, bu-" Lili released the button, but as the doors closed she crammed her big head through the ever shrinking gap.  
  
If only the doors would close on her sublime little neck, Holly thought.  
  
"See you at your place then!" Lili said, showing off every single pearly white.  
  
And before Holly could snap, the doors closed. And not on Lili's petite little neck either, to her disappointment. * * *  
  
But Lili had something more than makeup planned, something that Holly didn't expect.  
  
Whee! Just sumpin I'm messin' around with remember! I'll be at camp for the next week, so I won't be updating, unless, I do it tomorrow.  
  
~Hanna* 


	2. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother

Disclaimer: blah. You no the drill. No OCs in this ficlet. *sigh* nevermind, a nerd.  
  
Note: jus sumpin' I'm messin around with, so its quite short. Oh, and this ficcy doesn't have nething to do with my other stories.  
  
Kelaal: lol, thanx! Hope u'll enjoy the plot twist at the end  
  
Tampered Feelings  
  
Chapter 1: Cinderella's Fairy Godmother  
  
Holly seethed at herself inwardly.  
  
She really should start getting ready . . . the reception was in a few hours.  
  
But . . . Just a few more minutes . . . Only a few . . .  
  
But before Captain Short knew it, she was dozing on her futon, lying, still in her sweaty jumpsuit, helmet in the crook of her arm, on top of the un-made bedclothes. And what was designated to be but a few moments flew quickly to hours.  
  
Holly walked through the giant double doors of the ballroom and noticed as she passed a gallant, somehow familiar looking, man, that she was still in her LEP uniform.  
  
No matter, she didn't have time to head back to her apartment now. She crossed the specially waxed dance floor to a pallid wall.  
  
Holly shifted her weight to her left leg. She felt singled out somehow, she thought as she watched couples twirl . . . Every one was in tuxedoes and ball gowns. Funny, no one told her it was a costume party.  
  
And the floor was so shiny . . . Holly could see herself in it, it glowed so.  
  
A clock chimed twelve times somewhere in the halls.  
  
But . . . something was different. Besides the odd costumes and Holly's lack of them.  
  
Holly's hair was brunette and long. Her face seemed to grow wider, though her cheekbones grew more apparent.Full lips thinned slowly. Her nose stretched downward, and Holly felt something lying on the bridge of it.  
  
She pulled the spectacles off of her nose and attempted to shove them in her pocket, only to find that she didn't have one on the dress that folded itself around her.  
  
The glasses fell with a crash of broken glass to the mirror-like floor.  
  
The sound was amplified, and echoed around the ballroom.  
  
Everyone turned, some even with collective gasps, clutching their dance partners close to them.  
  
Holly didn't understand. What had she done?  
  
She turned, but slipped on the broken glass that littered the floor, and one of her old-fashioned slippers slid off.  
  
Someone caught her in mid-fall.  
  
It was a round-faced, shorter elf. He held out his hand for her support.  
  
It was amazing how he made his face just like the wall behind him . . . blank. So blank, in fact that Holly couldn't make out any facial features.  
  
She clapped her gloved hand to her mouth . . . she couldn't breathe . . . and she was falling . . . falling to the floor . . . but the mirrored dance floor gave way, and began to swallow her whole.  
  
The elf supporting her pulled her from the great new abyss in the dance floor  
  
Another amplified sound echoed around the giant hall.  
  
Knocking . . . twelve sharp raps at the giant oak doors.  
  
They gave way to reveal a striking blonde elf. Her face was also blank, though Holly could tell from the high dimples that she was grinning slyly as she swept her thick hair from her shoulder with a wave of her hand.  
  
It was so cold . . . What seemed like an Arctic wind wafted through the room, chilling Holly to the bone.  
  
How she wished the one who saved her would pull her closer . . .  
  
"Holly, Holly, what's wrong?" The blonde elf demanded, running closer, shoving a blank-faced elf who wore a shining golden crown from her way.  
  
Holly's slipper floated away, and everything else, including her brace, followed the same fashion.  
  
"Holly, Holly, Holly, Holly-"  
  
"Holly, Holly wake up!" Some one shouted, arousing Captain Short by shaking her.  
  
Holly opened one of her eyes to . . . Lili Frond? She groaned slightly.  
  
"Holly, Are you all right? You were twitching and drooling all over the bed . . . Were you having a nightmare?"Lili said, sounding half concerned, although a familiar sly grin was pushing her dimples over her cheekbones.  
  
Holly sat up abruptly, and Lili stepped back.  
  
A cold sweat droplet was winding its way over Holly's furrowed brow.  
  
"The door was open, so I just-"Lili began.  
  
"You!" Holly gasped.  
  
* * * * click the lilac button below and tell me what you think. And, yes, of course, the dream gets explained in later chapters.  
  
~Hanna* 


	3. Princess Charming's Puppet

Disclaimer: blah. You no the drill. No OCs in this ficlet. *sigh* nevermind, a nerd.  
  
Note: jus sumpin' I'm messin around with, so its quite short. Oh, and this ficcy doesn't have nething to do with my other stories.  
  
Kelaal: blonde dudette. Lol. Hmm . . . you'll c. =D  
  
Charliegirl: lol, thanx. Cliffies r so much fun. Buahaha.  
  
ArtemisFowlWorld: oky.  
  
Nicole: Whats a ooc? Lol poor ignoramus Hanna*.  
  
Chrysgurl: for really!! lol  
  
Tampered Feelings  
  
Chapter 2: Princess Charming's Puppet  
  
"It was you . . ." Holly hissed, more to herself than to Lili, her eyes darted shakily from the open door to Lili.  
  
" . . . Pardon . . . ?" Lili asked, her dimples still high, though she looked bewildered as she half cowered on the end of the small couch beside Holly's unmade futon.  
  
" It . . . " Holly ran her fingers through her disorderly auburn hair. " When . . ." Holly sensed a thick tension in the air.  
  
"Excuse me?" Lili murmured her red lips parting as she whisked silvery blonde hair over her shoulder. She did that so often . . .  
  
"When you . . . " Holly swatted the air in front of her face as if opening a door. "When you came in . . . It was so cold . . . And he . . ."  
  
"Holly, I'm sure it was only a nightmare . . ."  
  
"It wasn't a dream! It couldn't be . . . It . . . It was so real . . ." Holly exasperated, her voice trailing off to nothing. Her eyelid ticked ever so slightly.  
  
"It was only a dream Holly." Lili whispered tensely.  
  
"How would you know! You weren't . . ." Holly's hazel eyes flickered about the room.  
  
That was just it . . .  
  
"No . . . you were there. You were. I saw you . . .You knew me . . . " Holly took a collective breath and began again.  
  
"Lili, who do you see when you look at me?"  
  
Lili mouthed something that was surely a frazzled 'What?'.  
  
"You, Holly. I see you. Captain Short of the Lower Elements Police . . .Why?"  
  
Holly's brow furrowed and she gazed mirthlessly down at the blankets of her futon.  
  
"What color are my eyes . . . my hair?"  
  
Lili's fraud grin dissolved into thin air.  
  
"Your eyes are hazel, Holly . . . and your hair is auburn . . .but-"  
  
Holly bit her lip. Maybe Frond was right. Perhaps it was only a dream.  
  
She ran her hand over her nose. Nothing lay on its bridge.  
  
"Oh . . .I . . ." Holly's mouth was so dry she couldn't finish her sentence. She needed something to drink so badly.  
  
Lili chose to ignore Holly's rambling.  
  
"I brought some wine . . . Do you want any, Holly . . . Holly?" Lili muttered, holding up a large wine bottle and eyeing the Captain, whose eyes had suddenly glazed over.  
  
"Wha- Oh. Sure. Whatever."Oh what the heck. Holly could use some wine anyway.  
  
* * *  
  
Holly tipped the last of the wine to her lips, and eyed Lili, who was fumbling in her purse for some lipstick.  
  
"Hey Lil, you hadn't had any, have you?" Holly muttered, her face rising in a huge lopsided grin.  
  
"What- Um. Yeah. You just weren't watching . . ."  
  
"Oh, okay then." Holly's smile widened painfully with every word.  
  
Lili's electric blue eyes shot up at the clock above the door. She didn't think this would take long . . .  
  
"Holly I- Holly put the glass down!"  
  
"Yes Momma."  
  
Lili sighed, wrenching another full glass from Holly's pincher-like grasp, splashing wine on the faded carpet. This was getting out of hand . . .  
  
"Holly we'd better leave soon if were going to the rece-"  
  
The befuddled Captain slipped out of her chair and, wobbling slightly, walked to the door, the odd lipstick splashed grin still stretched over her face. She tripped slightly over the dress she was wearing, the one Lili had picked out. Lili had been so nice lately, in fact, the more alcohol Holly drank, the nicer Frond seemed.  
  
* * *  
  
poo. This chappie stank. O well. I don't drink, so I hope a bottle of wine will suffice to make Holly drunk enough for- neva mind.lol. Review! 


	4. The Glass Sipper

Disclaimer: blah. You no the drill. No OCs in this ficlet. *sigh* nevermind, a nerd.  
  
Note: jus sumpin' I'm messin around with, so its quite short. Oh, and this ficcy doesn't have nething to do with my other stories.  
  
OceanChild:buahaha. =D  
  
Slime Frog: lol, dastardly . . . awesome . . .  
  
Charliegirl: :/ sorry . . . u_u ill try 2 do better . . . it was confusing for me even to write.  
  
ArtemisFowlWorld: lol *claps* hurrahness and guiltation!! Lol . . . guiltation . . . I luv that word . . . behold, Sam! Obsessor of the every luminating star of Sirius, and creator of the beatiful word 'guiltation' . . . what wonderful things we can create with untidy handwriting!!  
  
Tampered Feelings  
  
Chapter 3: The Glass Sipper  
  
"Holly, Lili, I thought you weren't gonna show!" Foaly the Centaur grunted as Lili entered the giant ballroom, Holly tagging along at her side. Foaly raised a champagne glass.  
  
"Oh, sure . . .You know us, fashionably late . . . " Lili muttered as Holly pulled her by her wrist towards the fountain of champagne. She thrust a glass deep into its depth, and drained it.  
  
"Cheeeeers, Lil!" She said, an unusual jaunty smile playing with her cherubic lips, which were wet with champagne.  
  
"Holly, I don't think you should have any more alcohol," Lili muttered, grinning sheepishly as she played tug-of-war with the champagne glass.  
  
"Why not?" Holly demanded, looking deprived.  
  
"Because your acting drunk," Hissed Lili, wrenching the glass from Holly's grasp.  
  
"No I'm not," Holly said, her smile rising again, "I always act like this!"  
  
Lili rolled her eyes and turned away, willing to walk away from Holly, as long as she wasn't suspected for getting her drunk . . . on purpose.  
  
"Where yah goin'??" Holly demanded, giggling to herself.  
  
"I . . . er, have to go talk to someone. Go dance or something." Lili murmured, nodding at the dance floor, where Grub Kelp stood, looking quite lonely.  
  
Lili shot of in another direction, laying the glass back upon the punch table again.  
  
"Okay!" Holly shrugged and wobbled off in the direction of Grub.  
  
"Hey Grub. SOO . . . Nice party, huh, lots to drink . . ."  
  
"Holly? I though you weren't here. I was looking for you." Grub said as he turned around quickly to face the Captain.  
  
"Er. Yeah. Do you, uh wanna dance?" Holly asked. She was feeling so very confident since she'd had those two bottles of wine.  
  
"Um." Grub looked extremely startled as he ran his hand over his round face, which was screwed up in concertration on where to put his arms. "Yeah. Sure."  
  
Holly grinned, though she didn't know why, and placed her arms around Grub's neck, as he tentatively laid his pudgy hands on Holly's waist.  
  
The stepped clumsily around for a little while, then Holly said, tilting her head sideways and squinting her eyes:  
  
"You know, I like you Grub Kelp, I like you a lot." She ever-lingering smile was hitched up a few notches.  
  
Grub's blimp-like face split in a wry, rusty smile, one that seemed reserved.  
  
"Really? I like you too Holly! I've liked you a long-"  
  
A somehow familiar, loud clash of broken glass stopped him in mid-sentence, and they both turned around abruptly.  
  
"Oh-" A pixie nearby muttered, slapping her hand over her mouth.  
  
An unfamiliar, crying brunette elf was clambering up from the mess of broken champagne bottles, a bit of blood smeared across the floor, from a cut on the female elf's wrist.  
  
Holly noticed, as the punch-dipper bent down to help the girl, that there was a gnome standing behind the table.  
  
"TOO BAD, AND DON'T YOU EVER SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT AGAIN, SARLY!" The fat gnome rushed out of the door and a few sprites followed, reasoning loudly with him. The punch-dipper showed the less-than-pretty brunette elf into a backroom.  
  
Holly just noticed that something had slid to her feet when the table had been overturned.  
  
A pair of broken horn-rimmed spectacles stared up at her.  
  
She hastily picked them up and placed them quietly into her pocket as though by instinct.  
  
Holly, all of the sudden, felt suddenly nauseated and dizzy.  
  
She clapped a hand over her mouth and began to quickly dodge through the people towards the safety of the restroom.  
  
She returned from retching in the toilet twice, feeling put out and dizzier than before.  
  
That's when it happened, walking back through the queue of talking people in the lobby.  
  
She fainted, right then and there.  
  
Trouble, who was conversing merrily with an old academy buddy, rushed to her aide.  
  
It would have been funny, a little grin seeming to surpass the snoring Holly's face, had the situation not been so dire.  
  
Trouble Kelp could smell the alcohol on Holly's breath, so he carried her, almost casually from his own party, glaring at starring passerby.  
  
Commander Root was standing amuck a few smoking Sprites, puffing on his own fungus cigar.  
  
"Gods, what happened Trouble?" He hissed, a jaunty smile fading from his wrinkles slowly as he lowered the cigar.  
  
"It's alright, really, Commander. Holly's just . . . She's dead drunk. I can take her to my apartment."  
  
"No, no, this is your party, I-" The Commander muttered, his usual thick outer shell driven away by the sight of the unconscious Holly, who snored loudly, interrupting his sentence. He sighed melodramatically. Even in her unconscious state, the Captain was still interrupting him.  
  
"It's fine Commander, really." Trouble said, shifting Holly, who was slung over his broad shoulder sloppily.  
  
The Commander sighed again, eyeing Trouble suspiciously, and hissed:  
  
"Alright. Fine, I'll cover for you."  
  
It was only then, when Trouble nodded at the wry Commander, that he noticed one of Holly's shoes was missing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ergh. I hate that short Chapter. Short. Heh. Punish. . . . oh well, R/R anyway.  
  
~Hanna*  
  
(SOMEONE GO REVIEW MY TRAGEDY!! PEAZ!!! * begs on bended knee*) 


End file.
